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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · bound · stick · fall · lash · pass · rest · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fall — the season
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — a break
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — obliged
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — to go on
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com